Method of making bristles for street sweeping brooms



April 18, 1961 L. L. LECHENE METHOD OF MAKING BRISTLES FOR STREETSWEEPING BROOMS Filed March 14, 1958 INVENTOR. LECHENE WML/VMM MATToRNEY NIETHOD OF MAKING BRISTLES FR STREET SWEEPING BROMS LeoLechene, Hazel Park, Mich. (rvona, Pa.) lFiled Mar. 14, 195s, ser. No.721,573

z claims. (cl. soo- 21) The invention pertains to the making orrefilling of power-driven brooms of the kind used to sweep the pavementof roads and streets. A conventional broom of this type includes acylindrical core made of wood or metal. The core is adapted to bemounted for rotation about its axis, and is provided with a spiralgroove in its cylindrical surface, said groove extending from one end ofthe cylinder to the other. The core made in this manner serves as ameans for support of bristles which are secured to said core and extendradially therefrom. lThe term bristles is used generally to identifythin, resilient, but hard and sti fibers, strips,'or Wires which may bemade of plastic materials.

To be applied to the core, the bristles are placed over the grooveorosswise thereto, whereupon a cable is drawn over the bristles, midwaytheir respective ends, t force the midportion of the respective bristlesinto the groove. =In the process, under the pressure of the cable, eachbristle is bent upon itself in a hairpin fashion, the looped portion ofeach bristle being wedged tight into the groove by the cable.

In this manner of operation bristles are applied to the core stful byIistful, and the rotation of the core must be stopped prior to theapplication of each new stful of the bristles to the core. What is to benoted is that the bristles, prior to their being bound to the core, arenot bound or bonded together in any manner. This applies also to thebristles which are applied to the core by means of a machine.

The present invention pertains to a method of making bristles out ofplastic sheet stock, which stock has the form of long bands or ribbons.More specifically, the method includes, as a part thereof, intersectingthe body of one band or a plurailty of bands in a stackedup condition bya plurality of cuts transversely to the length of the bands, but leavinga portion of the bands, midway the side edges thereof, in an uncutcondition.

-The object of the invention is to provide a band including amultiplicity of bristles extending laterally from said midportion andintegrally connected thereto. rlhe purpose of this operation is toprovide an assembly of bristles in the form of a band which may be fedfrom a reel to the core of a broom in order that it may be bound to thecore by a cable in a manner analogous to that described above.

lI shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a short length of a composite bandconsisting of a plurality of iiexible bands stacked upon each other;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of said composite bandafter portions of the bands have been fused to each other, the Viewincluding a transverse sectional view of said composite band;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a short length of the composite band,portions of which have been split by a multiplicity of transverse cuts;

Fig. 4 is a top elevational view of a part of a core 2,983,467 PatentedApr. 18", 1961 A2 of a broom and a short length of the composite band asit is applied to said core.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The method of making such an -assembly of bristles 'calls for aplurality of bands made of plastic material,

such as nylon in sheet form, the preferred thickness of individualsheetsl ranging from li to 1A: of an inch. The bands are to be stackedone upon'the other to form a composite band in which the respective sideedges of shows a fused portion of the composite band, While theremaining portions of each band laterally extending from the solidportion are left detached from each other.

After the bands 10 have been so connected to each other to form acomposite band, said band is cut laterally to its length by amultiplicity of parallel cuts limited to the areas from the fusedportion to the respective side edges 13 of the band, the lines 14 of therespective cuts being spaced from each other to such distance as wouldamount to a satisfactory width of individual bristles to be used in thecompleted broom. The cutting operation of the composite bandmay becarried out by any suitable means.

As a result of the above operation the composite l band will betransformed into a solid ribbon, this being the fused portion 12, and amultiplicity of bristles 15 integrally connected thereto and extendinglaterally from the respective sides of said fused portion. Once thecomposite band has been so transformed, it may be wound upon a reel fromwhich it may be fed to the core of a broom. Such a core, marked 16, isshown in fragment in Fig. 4. -The composite band which may be fed to thecore is marked 17, while the cable by means of which the composite bandis secured to the core is marked 18.

It will be understood that the fusing of the component bands i6 to eachother is a preferred method of joining them to each other, but that thismay be also effected by means of adhesives or by other suitable means.

After having described my improvement, what I Wish to claim is asfollows:

1. The method of making an assembly of bristles for rotary brooms out ofplastic sheet stock in the form of bands, the method consisting ofstacking the bands upon each other lengthwise to form a composite bandin which the side edges of the component bands are alined with eachother, applying heat to the composite band along a relatively narrowportion midway the side edges of the composite band to fuse theindividual bands along said midportion to each other from one end of thecomposite band to the other, but leaving unfused in each band theportions extending laterally from the fused portion, allowing the fusedportion to cool ott and to solidify, splitting said unfused portions bya plurality of parallel cuts transversely tothe length of the band, thecuts being spaced from each other to the distance equal to the desiredwidth of the bristles, applying said band lengthwise and tangentially toa broom core having a helical groove therein with its fused centralportion in registry with said groove, and tightly winding a wire overthe band lengthwise thereof into said groove forming said bandtransversely into U-shape bands, 'Ythermelthod consisting of stackingthe bandsfupon radially ofthe corethro'ligheach otherlengthwise to "forma composite yband in Whichtthe sideV edges of the *component bands r"arefalined 'with each other, bonding each band along its'midporf tionlengthwise to :adhere to thefcorresponding portion 'ofvthe adjoiningband or bands, but leavinglportionsof each band extending laterally fromsaidglzuonded` portion the bands by a multiplicity of straight cutsltransversely to the length of the llband, the'cutsV-being spaced iromleach other by a distance equal to thejdesired Width of individualbristles,applying said band lengthwise and tanunconnected, splittingsaid unconnected'portions of lallIk ''g"6nt'ia11y'to a broom "core Ahaving a helical 'groove 'therein with its fused central Aportion inregistry withrsaid groove, and tightly winding aA Wire over the bandlengthwise thereof into said groove forming said band transversely intoU-shape so that the bristles project radially of the core throughout itslengthfollowingV said' helical groove. Y

Y`References Cited-i411-V the Vileof this batent Y l 2,813,286 StraderY; Nov. 19,

